The labelling with a word is helpful when you're getting started or concentration is poor, you should drop it when you don't need it. The mental noting is just a brief moment of recognition in the mind, you don't need a word to label it. Ultimately you are aiming to be fully and continuously aware ...

I think even a good Christian or any other can become an Arahant if he eliminate the personality view . (Understanding Anatta) So the crux of Buddha's teaching is Anatta. The rest of the teaching is found in other religions as well. Five Aggregate, Dependent origination, Abhidhamma etc are all abou...

So the crux of Buddha's teaching is Anatta. The rest of the teaching is found in other religions as well. Are you certain of that? In what other doctrine of truth/reality (your word "religion") is there found a teaching the same as paticca samuppada (dependent co-arising) or pancakkhanda (the five ...

As I understand, you lost your awareness for a while, then later you regained your awareness and realized that missing time (Correct me if I misunderstood you). Yes. sometimes the awareness can be lost for hours. in other cases - for some minutes. There are two camps on the subject of jhana - those...

What I found interesting in watching this video is how inarticulate he was in talking about his experiences. Are you suggesting that an arahant (either ancient or modern) is immune from being inarticulate? If so, what are your thoughts about the communication skills of the person who many accept as...

Thanks very much, Ian, for describing your personal experience. It's very useful. Happy to be of corroborative assistance. After reading the articles posted above, LB's instructions were the most appealing. He has some additional writings on his website (http://www.leighb.com/jhanas.htm); were ther...

Jhana Not by the Numbers by Ven. Thanissaro Bhikkhu Keeping the Breath in Mind by Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo has a chapter on Jhana Each and Every Breath by Ven. Thanissaro Bhikkhu discusses Jhana in Part Four of the text Instruction for Entering Jhana by Leigh Brasington So, from a preliminary reading ...

Hi Dhammakid, I used to have the same problem until I began to pay closer attention to the instruction recommended by Gotama. Think you can follow this simple instruction? "And how, bhikkhus, does a bhikkhu abide contemplating the body as a body? Here a bhikkhu, gone to the forest or to the root of ...

However I am not an absolute beginner and at that point I had been sitting every day for over two weeks and the sits were both enjoyable and fruitful. I was well into the groove and my problem was actually that I live next to a semi busy road and I was wondering if this might be inhibiting me from ...

Hi Zimesky, Have you thought about giving yourself some direction before you sit down to meditate? In other words, during this meditation, "I'm going to focus on accomplishing this or that." The "this or that" may be increasing your concentration; it may be endeavoring to stay with your meditation o...

But my question is what is improvement of equanimity? and what happens? Goenka said that when the equanimity is perfect enlightenment is perfect . From another thread on this same topic : Sati silently observes, like a spectator at a play, without in any way interfering. Some refer to this non-reac...

The version I read had the monk meditate for seven years, realize he didn't remember the arrangement of shoes, and decided he needed to go meditate another seven years. The message I took from that is that there is no upper bound on the proper measure of mindfulness, because who remembers stupid li...

If you can, gently let your attention go to the happy mental feeling that could have arisen at the time. If that feeling is strong enough, the breath will drop out of focus and the meditation will become more peaceful. To me this happens automatically, though, not really trough conscious choice. Is...

If you can, gently let your attention go to the happy mental feeling that could have arisen at the time. If that feeling is strong enough, the breath will drop out of focus and the meditation will become more peaceful. To me this happens automatically, though, not really through conscious choice. S...

I've been meditating for about 4 or 5 months, and meditating daily for probably about a month, and a question keeps popping up in my mind. "Why Meditate?" I meditate because of my desire to be happier/a better person. But I think this holds me back, because I want to attain something from my medita...

Hello umop, In addition to adding some further commentary, I'd like to clarify the intent of some of my comments that you replied to so that you have a clearer perception of what was meant. This medium of the written word is often deficient in what it allows one to imply without limiting other possi...

Hello umop, Prefaced with: "The neurofeedback did help me to better discern how to apply effort, when my mind wanders, and it even led me to 'move' my previous 'anapana spot' to one that now works better, but practicing anapanasati with this neurofeedback lacked even half of that 'sensitization' eff...

Hello umop_3pisdn, That's a bit of a clumsy handle you've chosen there. Mind if I refer to you as umop? You've provided us with a very detailed and articulate description here. And that is very helpful. Thank you. Not everyone who posts here is able to do this. It appears that you have discovered a ...